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A Uve  Association  in  the  Far  East 
Shanghai,  China 


National  Board  Young  Womens  Christian  Association 
600  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York  City 
1914 


A LIVE  ASSOCIATION  IN  THE  FAR  EAST 

THE  PLACE 

Shanghai  is  the  doorway  to  China,  a port  where  all  ships  touch.  It  is  a town 
biiilded  on  the  silt  of  the  Yangtse  River  and  its  tributaries.  It  is  about  two  hours’ 
ride  from  the  ocean,  up  a tidal  river  packed  with  shipping  bearing  the  flags  of  all 
nations.  It  was  one  of  the  earlier  cities  settled  by  Westerners,  and  certain  lands  were 
set  apart  for  their  use.  “The  International  Settlement”  and  the  “French  Settlement” 
are  governed  respectively  by  an  International  Council  and  by  a French  Council.  Beyond 
their  boundaries  is  the  Chinese  city  governed  by  Chinese  authorities.  There  are  vast 
suburbs  whose  rights  and  government  are  the  occasion  of  many  international  disputes. 
There  is  no  .sharp  division  line  between  settlements,  and  no  segregation  of  races.  The 
International  and  French  settlements  have  600,000  Chinese  residents.  Along  the  famous 
Bubbling  Well  Road  are  many  palatial  homes  of  Chinese  and  Westerners.  The  rivers 
and  channels  throughout  the  city  are  crowded  with  busy  barges  and  merchandise  and 
are  often  mooring  places  of  noisome  beggar-boats.  The  busine.ss  streets  are  compara- 
tively wide  and  there  are  many  Y'estern  and  semi- Western  buildings. 

HOUSING  CONDITIONS 

The  Chinese  residential  ])0))ulation  is  largely  com])acted  along  narrow  alleys  onto 
which  open  row  after  row  of  houses,  the  front  door  of  one  house  facing  the  back  door 


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Along  the  River  Bi  nd 


of  another.  Municipal  law  has  created  some  semblance  of  sanitation,  but  the  ignorant 
customs  of  the  masses  do  not  conduce  to  the  strict  keeping  of  the  law.  Conditions 
prevail  that  are  happily  unintelligibly  unfamiliar  to  Americans. 

CLIMATIC  CONDITIONS 

Shanghai  is  in  the  latitude  of  Mobile,  Alabama,  and  is  subject  to  many  climatic 
variations.  Just  as  it  is  to  be  concluded  that  it  is  always  rainy,  and  is  raw  and  cold, 
the  sun  pours  a golden  radiance  by  day  and  a violet  and  purple  twilight  atones  for 
many  eventides  of  gloom.  Summer  with  its  capricious,  destructive  typhoon  winds  and 
sultry  days  is  followed  by  autumn,  with  clear,  crisp  air.  Western  autumnal  tints  make 
sunrise  and  sunset  feasts  of  radiant  color,  that  are  finally  concluded  at  the  fall  of  the 
moist,  drab  pall  of  winter. 

POPULATION 

The  people  of  Shanghai  number  more  than  one  million.  Fifteen  thousand  includes 
the  number  of  foreigners;  the  Japanese  having  approximately  6,000,  the  British  3,000, 
Germans,  Americans  and  French  approximately  2,000  each.  These  are  nearly  all 
engaged  in  commerce. 

The  Chinese  in  Shanghai  represent  people  from  the  eighteen  provinces.  Aside  from 
the  representatives  of  the  province  in  which  Shanghai  is  located,  and  the  one  contiguous. 


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the  Cantonese  number  more  than  tliose  from  other  provinces.  One  written  language 
is  used  by  all,  but  the  spoken  tongue  is  a medley  of  scores  of  dialects. 

MISSIONS 

There  ai'e  in  Shanghai  five  mission  schools  under  the  Southern  Methodist,  the 
American  Episcopal  Church,  the  Baptist,  the  London,  and  the  Presbyterian  missionary 
societies.  In  the  latter  there  is  a flourishing  student  Assoeiation.  Of  gentry  and 
government  schools  the  number  approaches  fifty,  varying  because  of  the  political 
disturbances  which  interfere  with  the  opening  of  girls’  schools. 

Shanghai  has  the  largest  missionary  population  of  any  city  in  the  Republic.  There 
is  a representation  of  many  societies  not  engaged  in  mission  work  among  Shanghai 
population,  but  having  business  offices  in  the  city.  The  China  Inland  Mission  has  its 
receiving  home  in  Shanghai.  General  societies,  such  as  the  Bible  and  Tract  Societies, 
Christian  Literature  Society,  two  large  Mission  Presses,  the  Sunday  School  Union, 
Christian  Endeavor,  National  Committees  of  the  Young  Men’s  and  Young  Women’s 
Christian  Associations  are  located  here. 

YOUNG  WOMEN’S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 

Membership — The  membership  of  the  Association  includes  over  three  hundred  and 
fifty  Chinese  women  from  many  grades  of  society.  There  are  the  wives  of  peistors,  ladies 


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of  leisure,  students,  Christians  and  non-Christians  who  are  unused  to  social  intercourse, 
and  through  the  Association  are  drawn  into  a common  fellowship.  A considerable 
portion  of  the  time  of  the  secretaries  is  given  to  social  calling  upon  the  membership. 
A recognition  service  is  used  at  the  reception  of  members,  at  which  time  each  new 
member  receives  a copy  of  the  New  Testament. 

Bible  Study — To  the  faithful  work  of  Miss  Mary  L.  Ding,  since  the  opening  of 
the  Association  on  its  present  basis,*  is  to  be  credited  a large  number  of  students  from 
non-Christian  and  Christian  schools  who  meet  weekly  for  Bible  study.  The  enrollment 
in  Miss  Ding’s  classes  alone  has  been  over  one  hundred  weekly,  some  of  these  meeting 
in  the  school  premises,  some  in  neighborhood  classes  and  some  in  the  Association  head- 
quarters. The  classes  are  held  in  five  dialects — Shanghai,  Mandarin,  Cantonese,  Foochow 
and  English.  Nearly  every  woman  who  attends  the  educational  classes  is  enrolled  also 
in  the  Bible  classes. 


*The  actual  besinning-s  of  the  Chinese  Association  were  in  190,S  when  Miss  Berninger  began  work  as 
the  first  Secretary  to  China,  and  there  being  then  no  government  schools  for  girls  and  no  awakening 
from  old  Chinese  customs,  she  opened  work  among  the  thousands  of  mill  women  in  Shanghai.  P^our 
years  she  labored  faithfully,  living  herself  in  the  mill  section  of  the  city,  but  her  health  failing,  she 
was  obliged  to  leave  the  work.  In  the  mean  time  the  great  awakening  came— schools  opened  and  greater 
social  access  to  Chinese  women  of  influence  became  possible.  Committees  which  Miss  Beininger  had 
gathered  together  deemed  it  wise  to  di.scontinue  the  mill  work  and  take  up  this  open  field,  hoping 
thereby  in  some  future  time  to  more  effectively  resume  efforts  for  women  in  the  mills  when  public 
opinion  should  have  educated  Chinese  to  rally  to  this  work,  not  only  in  financial  support  but  as  teachers 
and  lay  workers. 


A May  Fete,  1913 


Religious  Meetings — Sunday  vesper  service  is  held  weekly.  The  Assembly  room  is 
often  overcrowded  so  that  there  must  he  a division  of  the  audience  according  to 
age,  and  two  services  conducted  simultaneously.  The  room  itself  seats  comfortably  (if 
one  can  be  comfortable  without  proper  light  and  witli  almost  no  air)  about  eighty 
women.  The  usual  method  is  to  crowd  about  twenty  more  than  the  room  can  hold  onto 
a glassed-in  veranda,  where  they  shiver  in  cold  weather  and  have  the  only  cool  seats 
in  summer  time.  The  ladies  who  attend  these  meetings  are  largely  non-Christians. 
The  Week  of  Prayer  meetings  are  well  attended  and  intelligent  prayers  made  for  the 
women  of  the  world.  Three  simultaneous  meetings  are  held  at  present.  It  is  not 
possible  to  tabulate  results  in  figures  from  religious  meetings — sometimes  results  are 
ingathered  from  the  work  of  missionaries,  sometimes  from  Bible  study  classes,  some- 
times, and  usually,  from  all  these  sources.  The  past  three  months  have  seen  three 
members  who  have  united  with  the  church,  one  a Mohammedan  woman  of  mature  years, 
one  a graduate  of  a Christian  school,  one  a young  married  woman.  The  sowing  is 
for  the  Association— God's  is  the  result. 

Educational — Under  the  efficient  directorship  of  Miss  Tsao,  the  educational  work 
of  the  Association,  whicli  was  already  begun  in  a limited  way,  has  been  brought  into 
the  shape  of  a department  with  its  own  committee.  Courses  for  the  past  year  included 
English  conversation.  Mandarin  conversation,  current  events,  cooking  classes  (the 
making  of  Western  candy  and  pastry),  dressmaking,  fancy  sewing,  typewriting,  house 
decoration,  mothers’  meetings,  and  the  reading  circle.  The  conversational  classes  are 


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for  all  Chinese  young  women  who  wish  to  speak  English,  and  the  Cantonese  women 
who  wish  to  learn  the  Mandarin  conversation,  that  dialect  being  universal  among 
educated  people.  The  director  of  education  is  Miss  Mary  Chang. 

Physical  Work — This  dej)arttnent  of  the  Association  was  begun  under  the  expert 
direction  of  Miss  Mayhew,  the  national  director  of  pliysical  work.  During  the  year, 
twelve  classes,  some  from  Christian  scliools,  some  from  private  schools,  and  some  from 
among  the  ladies  of  leisure,  were  enrolled.  The  only  room  at  present  available  for  this 
work  will  accommodate  twelve  students.  The  ventilation  and  light  are  exceedingly 
imperfect  and  the  ceiling  is  too  low  for  games.  Moreover,  tlie  room  is  often  in  demand 
for  use  as  an  audience  hall.  In  the  fall  of  1913,  Miss  Chun  took  on  the  direction  of  the 
physical  work  of  the  Association. 

Social  Life — Shanghai  is  without  doubt  the  New  York  of  China  as  regards  styles 
and  customs.  The  extremes  of  Western  social  life  and  much  that  has  never  been  seen 
East  or  West  is  being  tried  out  in  Shanghai.  Fluctuation  in  style  is  rapid  and  bewil- 
dering. Christian  men  and  women  were  the  first  to  mingle  together  in  social  intercour.se. 
and  with  Christians  rests  a disproportionate  responsibilitj-  in  influencing  the  new  social 
life  of  China.  The  Westerner  naturally  cannot  be  an  active  ])articipant  in  this  develop- 
ment, but  through  the  meetings  with  small  groups  in  Bible  classes,  conversational 
classes,  and  social  gatherings,  the  best  that  the  West  can  give  is  eagerly  listened  to. 
The  Association  holds  regular  days  at  liome;  the  educational  department  gathers 
together  friends  and  relatives  of  the  students  at  various  times. 


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Social  gatherings  of  all  sorts  are  wont  to  end  with  an  address  or 
lecture  given  either  b)^  the  secretary  or  by  some  other  who  eomes 
prepared  to  speak  upon  a certain  topic.  All  the  larger  lectures  of  the 
Association  must  be  held  in  a hired  hall. 

• Secretaries — During  1913  Miss  Coppock,  who  has  been  the  effi- 
cient and  beloved  general  secretary  of  the  Association  since  1908, 
was  appointed  aeting  national  executive.  The  work  was  then  taken 
up  by  Miss  Frances  Taft  and  Miss  Winifred  Jacob*  in  conjunction 
with  Misses  Ting.  Tsao  and  Chun,  all  of  whom  had  education  abroad. 

In  a work  as  well  established  as  in  Shanghai,  the  residences  of  the 
secretaries  are  almost  as  important  as  the  Association  building  for 
meeting  places  of  social  groups,  Bible  classes  and  individual  Chinese. 

There  are  also  places  of  conferences  and  prayer.  Hospitality  is  ex- 
tended during  the  year  to  scores  of  missionary  friends  and  to  guests 
from  America  and  England. 

Miss  Tisg 

THE  PRESSING  NEED 

The  membership  of  more  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  women  center  for  their  activi- 
ties in  a place  large  enough  for  a family  of  six.  In  this  building  there  are  held  lectures 

* Miss  Jacob  is  under  the  British  National  Council  and  was  a student  of  Girton  College,  Cambridge. 

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for  small  groups;  there  are  classes  in  cooking,  the  gas  oven  being  in  a dark  corner  under 
the  stairs.  A group  of  ladies  calling  in  the  afternoon  to  see  the  Association  will  find 
no  chair  upon  which  to  sit ; nor  yet  a room  where  the  chair  may  sit.  The  drawing  room 
is  in  use  for  an  English  class. 

The  reception  room  will  he  in  use  for  an  educational  class,  or  a group  in  sewing; 
the  large  (?)  room,  30x15  feet  for  physical  exercise;  the  secretaries’  office  is  in  u.se 
for  a Bible  class,  and  the  school  on  the  second  floor,  in  rooms  12  x 12  and  12  x 10,  takes 
up  the  remaining  space.  The  attic  and  one  tiny,  noisy  room  are  used  as  a hostel,  hut 
at  the  most  five  women  can  be  accommodated.  The  dining  room, — there  is  none.  The 
ordinary  conveniences  of  a hostel  are  lacking.  The  advent  of  a class  usually  incurs 
the  shifting  of  secretaries  from  their  desks,  three  of  them  occupying  the  one  office 
room. 

The  Gospel  meetings  woidd  undoubtedly  be  two  or  three  times  as  large  as  at  present 
if  there  were  proper  seating  capacity  for  such  meetings.  An  increasing  number  of 
young  women  who  are  needing  homes  would  find  their  way  to  the  hostel  if  accommoda- 
tions were  built.  For  three  years  a constant  lookout  has  been  made  for  a suitable 
building  to  be  rented,  but  none  is  available  in  Shanghai.  The  work  in  all  its  de])art- 
ments  is  held  back  for  lack  of  a suitable  building.  The  Chinese  ladies  are  willing  to 
assume  responsibility  for  buying  a site  upon  which  the  building  may  be  built.  Who 
will  provide  the  building? 


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A Lecture  ox  Aviation 


A&soc  I cvtv  on 


lnK  PllKSENT  BriI.DING 


SHALL  THE  ASSOCIATION  GROW? 


